Escape
by Daria Falke
Summary: Arisu has never met A.N.JELL, but she now has a contract with President Ahn and is part of the band. While getting to know the band and beginning her new career, she will have to face a part of her past that she longed to hide.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

(A.N.: This is the first fanfiction that I have written in a long time. As much as I like Go Mi Nam, she is not in this. Please let me know what you think!)

The engine noise rumbled quietly through the cabin of the plane. Passengers mumbled to each other in voices that were barely audible. If they didn't talk, then the sounds that came from them was the rustle of papers as the read their magazines or their engrossing novels. Manager typed on her laptop at a furious pace, a clearly excited look on her face.

The blank pager in front of me mocked me and laughed at the blankness of my mind. They were as much of an irritant as the noise from her click-clacking keyboard.

"Stupid…" I muttered, folding a sheet of the paper into an origami crane instead of writing out lyrics like I was supposed to.

Manager sighed when she noticed my actions. She lowered the screen of her precious laptop and turned her narrowing eyes on me. "You need to focus. That song was needed last week, so get a move on already."

"I understand," I replied politely, "but I can't focus here. We'll be landing in an hour and I need a little bit of sleep since I've been awake for almost twenty-four hours. I'll work on it later."

"I can't help but notice that you said that last time I mentioned this to you."

"Nagged is more like it…" I mumbled, turning my dark eyes to the gorgeous blue sky that peeked through the tiny yet thick window in order to try and maintain in control of myself. Manager always managed to get under my skin – far too often for my taste. We didn't work well together, but hiring had been a choice made by my foster parents. For all that they'd done for me, I chose to respect their decisions and not rebel unless I really had too.

"You're just nervous – which you should be." She sipped daintily at her soda water. "You are going to meet three very attractive and very important people. Not to mention the fact that while you're working with them you'll be in a foreign country speaking a foreign language."

"My Korean is fine, and thanks for reminding me of all that. No pressure, right?" I scoffed. "I just need to get back on the ground again."

"If you had chosen to fly in your family's private jet then you would be already and I wouldn't have to put up with your whining." She pointed out.

"You know as well as I do that I couldn't accept their offer. I'm in debt to them enough as it is." I stated, staring hard at the lopsided paper crane that was in my hands. I straightened out one wing and set it down on the fold out table.

"They are your family now. They are supposed to care for you and help you. But I still think –"

"Please…Just leave me alone until we land." I said frowning with exhaustion.

She nodded, bowed her head a little before picking up her laptop and hurrying away to find another seat. Truly, I was grateful.

"Flight 602 from New York City has landed in Terminal B-26. Passengers collect your luggage at Baggage Claim 3-B"

The intercom went silent and the air was instantly replaced by the noise of the many busy travelers. They spoke quickly in English, Korean, and many other languages until they all blended becoming one. The noise level wasn't high enough to be unbearable. The noise from Managers' heels clacking against the stone floor was, though. I pinched the bridge of my nose in irritation and because of the headache blooming there from my sleep deprived state.

"Sing as well as you like, but you won't last long since you can't handle crowds." She taunted when she noticed my pain.

Instead of adding fuel to the fire like I usually chose to do, I simply ignored her. "No welcoming committee?" I asked sarcastically.

She whirled on me. "Or course not! This isn't Hollywood or your _New York City_, Arisu. Now hurry up. If we are late to the meeting with President Ahn, then you may not get into A.. Do you understand?"

"Well, if I do get the job, will I still have to deal with you?"

"Unfortunately, Arisu, unfortunately."


	2. Chapter 2

During the car ride, Manager checked her watch a grand total of eleven times. When the building of A.N. Entertainment finally came into view, she was practically twitching with her anxiety. The driver had barely stopped the vehicle, but that didn't stop her fro yanking me out and tugging me towards the building at a fast trot.

"You don't look to shabby." She murmured to me once we were inside and waiting to get visitor passes from the receptionist. "Only a little disheveled," she added hastily as I glanced at her. She then proceeded to tug on the bottom of my plain black shirt and brush imaginary dust off of my shoulders. I shrugged her off and accepted the passes from the kindly receptionist.

"Well, I think I look absolutely wonderful for someone who just spent the last fourteen and a half hours on a plane with little to no sleep." I mustered all of the cheeriness I could into my voice. Apparently, my sarcastic smirk threw it off, annoying Manager.

"You would look better if you stopped refusing to wear make-up." She snapped, trying to hit me where it hurt. I rolled my eyes, allowing her to know that the comment had been easily deflected.

"You'll just have to respect my decisions as I respect most of yours."

She scoffed at me. "Hold the elevator!"

I hesitated as I saw who was inside, but Manager either didn't notice, or was purposely ignoring me again. Sometimes it was hard to tell, but I was putting my money on the second option. After a split second, though, I followed her, putting on a light smile for the A. boys.

Shin Woo was the only one to return the gesture before letting the elevator door shut behind me. Manager was too busy chatting up Jeremy to notice the eye-daggers Tae Kyung was shooting at me. Instead of cringing like I was probably supposed to, I plastered a big grin on my face.

"You must be Arisu Moon, yes?" Shin Woo asked me.

I stuck out a hand for him to shake. "The one and only."

"The Arisu Moon who is going to be joining us?" Tae Kyung asked, his tone indifferent, though I sensed that he really was not. I nodded, releasing Shin Woo's hand from my grip. Tae Kyung scoffed. "You seem a little too plain."

"Well thank you very much." I answered pleasantly – purposely trying to irk him.

Suddenly, the elevator stopped, the lights growing extremely dim. I stiffened, reaching behind me to touch the door. Its substance and realness calmed me a little.

"Well this is excellent…" Manager hissed bitterly. "Now we'll be late for the meeting and you won't be able to join the band. Your whole career is literally going down the drain right now, Arisu. And yet you're just standing there!" She babbled on, bemoaning to Jeremy about how hard life was. For once, I was too mentally detached to care.

"Madam, please, silence your wailing." Tae Kyung said in a polite, quiet, but unmistakably annoyed voice.

Surprisingly, she did. I was aware enough to notice, and to smile slightly in the dim space. The silence I had longed for the entire day had finally arrived.

Tae Kyung pulled out his cell phone, shining its light onto my face. "Now you," he continued, "sing, please."


	3. Chapter 3

I stared at the leader of A. in the dim light. Manager nodded at me quickly, but remained silent. Tae Kyung watched me, measuring me in a way. Shin Wood did the same, while Jeremy shifted nervously from one foot to the other. I bit my lip and stared at my feet. All of the songs that I knew had evaporated; marooned me; left me for dead. Tae Kyung raised an eyebrow at me as I racked my brain for something to sing.

On surfaced the chaos, freezing me.

Shortly after, a safer song turned up. I hummed the tune before shutting my eyes and singing.

"_I saw a picture of you  
Hanging in an empty hallway  
I heard a voice that I knew  
And I couldn't walk away  
It took me back to the end  
Of everything  
I tasted all  
I tasted all the tears  
again_

Outside the rain's falling' down  
There's not a drop that hits me  
Scream at the sky but no sound  
Is leavin' my lips  
It's like I can't even feel  
After the way you touched me  
I'm not asleep but I'm not awake  
After the way you loved me

I can't turn this around  
I keep running into walls that I can't break down  
I said I just wander around  
With my eyes wide shut because of you  
I'm a sleepwalker walker…"

My voice faded out softly on the last word. I kept my eyes squeezed shut as I tried to maintain control over my calmness. My brain had decided that the safe song wasn't worth it and had my mouth spew the other one out instead. I felt cold and numbed by the four sets of eyes that were trained on me, even if I couldn't see them.

Jeremy whistled and began to clap. I peeked at him. Even tough I had sung in English, I was certain that they had understood every word. Manager was the only person who knew the back story, so they were just words to everyone else. Shin Woo then joined in the clapping, smiling slightly at me. Tae Kyung nodded at me once, and then ignored everyone. His face was blank, as if he were hiding some previous emotion.

The lights came back on and he put his cell phone away. The elevator spluttered back to life. It's sudden rising caused me to stumble ungainly, but I recovered without too much embarrassment.

Apparently – judging by the supportive and pleased looks on the faces of people I passed by – my performance in the elevator had been broadcasted through the building. Since one would need electricity to do such a thing, I decided that the elevator's power cut hadn't been by accident. In other words, a hoax; one that Manager hadn't known about.

She stomped alongside of me, spewing flames in the form of words. It saddened me that her silence had been so short lived, but it was really no surprise. Her constant stream of words was natural. Along with it, the sound of her noisy heels clacking against the ground almost drowned out the sound of three pairs of footsteps following behind us. I tilted my head to get a better look without actually turning my head around when an arm was slung around my shoulders.

"You were really good." Jeremy praised; a goofy smile on his face. "I'm glad that President Ahn chose you. That song came from here," he continued, lightly patting my chest before pounding his own. "And it hit right here."

"Um…Thank you…"

He beamed at me and looked over his shoulder. "Tae Kyung might be frowning, but he thought it was great too. You'll get used to him being grouchy eventually."

I nodded, swallowing to try and dispel my nervousness.

Shin Woo matched his pace with mine, "I've not heard that song before. Was it original?"

I shook my head and tried to focus on my Converse clad feet. I watched out for the air that I might trip on, and the nonexistent dust. "It's by Adam Lambert."

"Still, the way you sang it; it sounds like it holds some meaning to you." I stiffened a little at the perception in his comment. "I liked it, though. It made it real. If you can do that with any song then you'll go far in this business."

"Thanks." I said, looking up and smiling slightly at his trusting face.

"Arisu, come on!" Manager snapped, already at President Ahns' office.

"We'll see you later!" Jeremy said, quickly hugging me before letting me go. Shin Woo waved, but Tae Kyung continued to keep his mask in place. I would soon learn that he always kept his emotions behind the mask, but it would be longer before I understood why.

Manage wasted no time in chastising President Ahn for the elevator hoax. I sat on the couch next to her, feeling my face burn with embarrassment. President Ahn sat across form us, taking the whole thing in stride.

"That was extremely unprofessional, especially for a man of your stature! If you had warned me, then I might have been able to get her to warm up her vocal chords in the car. And don't even get me started about it being broadcast building wide!" Her voice raised at least an octave on the last syllable. Because of this I cringed visibly. She fell silent almost immediately, casting concerned eyes over me.

"Thank you, President Ahn, for choosing me out of the many others to join A.. It is truly an honor, as was performing in the elevator for the entire company." I dipped my head a little after speaking. Manager kept her eyes fixated on the coffee table between us and President Ahn.

He leaned forward to clap me on the shoulder, grinning from ear to ear. "You are most welcome, Arisu Moon. Finding you was like getting the jackpot!" His grin toned down to a serious smile. "Here is your contract. Read it and sign it so that we may talk about the living arrangements."

Basically, the contract stated what was expected of me and that when I signed, the contract would bind me for two years.

It seemed like a long time, but I was ready.

After I sealed the paper with my signature, A. was called into the room. Jeremy plopped himself next to me, using such force that his hair lifted for a few seconds. Shin Woo seated himself next to President Ahn gracefully. Although seats were available, Tae Kyung remained standing. He was close, but also distanced.

Manager nearly burst a blood vessel when President Ahn admitted that construction on the new wing of the dorm that would be mine was not complete yet. When he told her that there was a room in the dorm for me, as it was, I think she did. After a few minutes of her rantings, I spoke up to try and diffuse the situation.

"President Ahn, how long until the new wing is finished?" I asked with my politest voice welded in place. I wasn't excited about the prospect of sharing a dorm with three guys, but what choice did I have really?

"Four to five months, I think."

I turned to Manager. "I'm not willing to stay in a hotel that long."

"Your parents would not approve of this if they knew."

"Certain events from my past will prevent me from doing anything to dishonor them. Anyway, I am able to take care of myself."

"Are you certain?" She asked quietly. I nodded, knowing that my will was stronger than hers. "Fine, President Ahn? The dorm sounds perfect.

**Author Note:**

**This is pretty much the first in depth meeting of A.. I hope you liked it! Please review!**


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